With business and union lobbyists backing it, a bill aimed at reforming the Legislature’s allocation of infrastructure money passed the Senate Rules Committee on Friday. After a 4-2 vote, Senate Bill 262 next goes to the Senate Finance Committee. Two Republicans, Sens. Cliff Pirtle, of Roswell, and Mark Moores, of Albuquerque, opposed the measure. - - 3/1/2017

The New Mexico Senate approved legislation Monday that paves the way toward the installation of solar panels on every state building, despite the concerns of some senators as to what the bill might mean for our national symbol. During floor debate, Sen. George Muñoz, D-Gallup, expressed concern for the whooping cranes that might be killed by all the new solar panels. When asked by Sen. Jeff Steinborn, Senate Bill 227 sponsor, if he was confusing solar powers for wind turbines, Muñoz insisted he was not. - - 3/1/2017

The attempt to legalize marijuana in New Mexico died Monday evening in the House Business and Industry Committee. House Bill 89, which would have established a regulatory framework for the legal production, processing and sales of marijuana and industrial hemp, was tabled following a debate of about 2 ½ hours in committee. - - 3/1/2017

A bill to cap small loan interest rates at 36 percent was tabled Monday in the Senate Corporations and Transportation Committee. Senate Bill 15 was tabled 5-2, with Democrats Mary Kay Papen, D-Las Cruces, and Clemente Sanchez, D-Grants, joining the effort to kill the bill, Soules said. Also Monday, a companion bill died in the House Business and Industry Committee, getting passed over without even a discussion. - - 3/1/2017